Moss gatherer



G, A. PETTIT Moss GATHERER' May 31, 1932.'

Filed Nov. 4, 1929 INVENTOR;

@Zarge 5J. Ref/ZZ;

ATTORNEYS.

@ao @BY the moss or to permit some ot' it to remain or to cling to which the'jaws are mechanism. l

Patented May 31,l 1932 enoaer. An'rrrr, or New ORLEANS, LOUISIANA Moss emmener@ yApplication inea November 4, 1929. serial No. 404,831.

My'invention relates vto improvements in moss gatherers and is designedto overcome the objections to moss pullers orgatherers heretofore designed wherein a hook or teeth are employed to `engage the moss inl removing the/'same from a tree ,fno teeth being employed hin the gripping element of my tool toV tear "on the tree when the gripper clamps the moss,

the implementafter being re- 'move'd Jfrom the tree. y v V@In the accompanying drawings:

Figure lis a side elevation oi my improved moss gatherer or puller; Figure 2 is a Jiront view :of the puller portion'offthesame;

" Figure r3 is a horizontal section on the line j 3-3 ot' Figure 2; f Figure l is a vertical section on the line 'of Figure' 2;E f Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure withthe gripping arms lshown in a kposition; j f

Figure Gis a topy view with the gripping arms open asinFigure3; i FigureYl is a modifiedftorm showing inside elevation, an arrangement' of the springl in held normally closed, and 8 is a section taken in a plane simiaber closed Figure lar to thato'f Figure l'), showing a modified j ormin which one -jaw'only other'be'ing stationary, Y f

Fig. 91is- 'a fragmentary elevation of the handlele'nd of the device with operating lever ,4;011 thesidefoppositeto that shown in Fig. l. In the drawings, the reference' character l represents a rod or pole of suitable length to enableK4 the operator.y to stand on the'ground i moss, such as is pivoted, the

-or on anelevation and remove Spanish moss, from trees. g j f The pole or rod is shaped at itsy lower end to constitute ahandle or grippingrportion @and at its upper end ycarries a biturcated lhead 3, attached thereto ina suitable manner fory supporting the moss ,removing gripping 'Pivoted to 'the Vhar'idle or gripping portion i 2 i's y an operating lever 4L which 'is connected to a bell crank, 5, which latter is pivoted inthe biurcated/head or bracket 3; The end 6 of 'are pivoted-'at their upper clamping tree. l f

-oted lever 4l, whereupon its normal position and the t y clamping jaws movement will be imparted PTENTOFFICE. I

the bell crank 5 operates in a slot 7, Figures 3, i and 5 formed by bringing the upper ends ofthe moss clamping jaws 8 into juxtaposition or alignment, said upper jaw ends being formed with notche'sl'a and 7b which are in."Vv alignment with each otherand which together constitute the slot 7. The clamping jaws 8 yends to the head or the implement and the outer ends of said t jaws are held normally open by means Vof a spring 9, see Figures l and 2, surrounding the connecting rod l() and reacting against an abutment 11. By 4pressing down on the. pivoted handle d, which is secured to the operating rod l0, said rod being connected at its upper end to the bell crank 5, .theclamping 'awsB will `be brought together as shownv in Figure 5 to grasp av unch of mossk hanging from a tree. `Upon pulling the implement the moss will be yremoved romthe Atree and held iirmly between the aws 8 without liability of the moss beingvtorn orkonlyVV partly removed from the To release jaws, itis only necessary. for the operator to remove the pressure of his hand on the pivthe said pivoted lever willr spring out to aws 8 will be opened so thatfthe moss will readily dropv froml the clamping jaws on kto the ground or into a suitable receptacle. o The moving'v of the upper end of the bell crank through the slot V7 formed bythe recesses or notches inthe upper ends o 8, is unique and practical the upper end of the bell crank which works in said slot moves said pivoted jaws so as to bring the lower ends together to iirmly clasp or grip the moss; and upon the yrelease of theVI spring actuated by the handle 4, a reverse to the bell crank and the clamping jaws open and the moss is readily ydischarged from the clamping jaws. The movement of the jaws is thus positiveinboth directions, and the spring which releases the jaws is remotetrom the jaws and, therefore, unlikely to become entangled with the moss. The clamping jawsfor 'members being pivoted at right angles tothe handle Vdownward upon y the. moss trom the yclamping shown in Figure `8, one

ating 'lever forces the the operating rod 1 'operating rod. .In s Hplements heretofore and the jaws being slightly inclined downward, allow for the easy and instant release of the'moss after it is pulled loose from the tree.

This construction and arrangement are very important in order to easily clasp the moss hanging Yfrom a tree between the jaws or clamping fmeii'ibers, as it can Areadily be seen that with the moss hanging from the tree in its natural position, and by my devicebeing held in an upright or vertical position in` reaching for the moss, the open jaws can readily be placed against the clusters of moss in exactly the proper ali ninent toclasp kor grip the same. when closecl.

This feature of my invention, namely,'havingthe,V gripping members or jaws operating at approximately right angles to the pole, ,the endsiof the'lsame slightly inclined downwardly and outwardly, is very important.

A slight `modifica-tion of the invention is jaw 8, alone being pivoted, while. theother jaw 8 remains fixed. Iii-this construction, the slot 7 is made deeper to-reeeive the entire width of the end of the bell crank.

Figure 7 showsthe spring on the opposite sideothe abutment l1, so that it biases the `rod l0 downward, closingthe jaws,.its effect being .just-:the opposite to that arrangement shown in :Figure 1. This action of the spring makes it necessary to place'the operating leverf4 on the oppositeside of the pole to the lower end of the operating rod as shown in Fig. 9 so that pressure ofzthe operoperating .rod upwardly, openingthe jaws.

'It iislobviousthat #by sharpeningtlie edges where they meet, as in Figure 5, the object ,gmsped may be cut o In? the operation of my device,.a Very slight movement of the operating rod (approxijmately y2 Iinch) is all that is necessary to open andclose the grippingelement or jaws, `which l'have va spread when open. of several 'inches (approximately 51,42 inches). Thisv feature ofjgetting a 5% inch opening of the `gripping elements or jaws by only moving 2 inch is important, and an improvement over theart, as it permits of the-use-o'fthe simple type of operating handle shown in the drawings.

The operating rod in my device passes Y through a groove in the handle and is held in place by staples. This arrangement permits holding the pole in the hand at any portion ofits length without the hand touching or interfering with the movement of the ome moss gathering ilnproduced, the kdevice is manually operated in both opening and clos- .ing the -gripping jaws, while in my device, thegrip'ping or clamping jaws are opened instantly k and automatically by means of la yployed in an implem .each having jpole; 4the jaw mec ,ing a pole; af

Abracket to. swing into two spring, the snap of the spring tending forcibly to discharge the moss.

It is important that when a cluster oi moss is pulled from a tree and is released by the gripping mechanism, that all the moss falls to the ground or intoV a receptacle and that it does not cling to the gatheringtool, as frequently happens -where teeth ,are ement of this kind.

.In my device, it will be observed thatthe gripping Orclamping members or jaws are pivote'd at right angles to the handle and that the jaws are slightly inclined downward.

This is for the specific purpose of accomplishin the easy and instant release of the eritis pulled-loose mmthetr, so that'itwill drop at once tothefgmund.

Having now described-'myfinventiom .what I claim is: l. A moss. gathering implement compril` ing ya `suitable `pole ycarrying e Supporting ead, clamping `jaws pivoted to said .head anoteh facing-the other, e crank pivoted ftothe head having one end in the vnotches Vto lclose spring actuated operatingQrod connected .to the other end'ofthe bell crank-andra handle pivoted -on rthe :pole and connected :to the lower end of the operating rod, -so .that pressing on the handle, .the clampingjaws will be brought together totgrip-a .cluster-Off moss, and upon being .the jaws Iwill e automatically opened and Vthe moss vreleased. i

2. A moss nation -With a pole :carrying a .supporting head, clamping jaw mechanism .piveted to said head at substantial right anglesto-.the

ing outwardlyand downwardly forthe ready vrelease ofthe gathered moss, .and

means of opening and closing th clam 'ng jws operable rfromadjiurent the-other cuidad? e Apo e. 3. .A ymoss,gathering implement, comprising a pole; abracket atlthe top ofthe poleg'a bell crank pivoted to the bracing. ng en outward extending and an upward extending arm; a clamp ,pivoted to the-.braeketto swing into two positions, having a notch lembracing the upward extending arm; "a hand grip pivoted near-.the bottom of the pole; a rod connecting thehandgrip and thefout.- .ward -extending arm; anda. spring holding the clamp normally .in one position, sothat pressure on the hand grip shallreverseitsposition.r

4. A moss gather' mg implement Vcom, rig.' b racket at p the 'to of the y a bell crank the hrlicket, 'i lizqle, an outward extending and an upward ing arm; .apair of Iclamps piwoteii to Athe positions, eachhav- `inge n otch .facing the `other with .theupward extending arm in Vthe two notches;` a, hand and open the jaws, :a

gathering implement, in 0mhi` msm ywhen opened largripv pivoted near the bottom of the pole; a rod connecting the hand grip and the outward extending arm; and a spring actuating the bell crank to hold the clamps position, so that pressure on shall reverse their position.

5. A moss gathering implement, comprising the saine structure as claim 4, with' the clamps bent downward to `facilitate release o the gathered moss.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

GEORGE A. PETTIT.

normally 1n one the hand grip 

